Media

“The Five Most Disruptive Technologies at CES”,” Forbes, January 12, 2013. In a widely reprinted article, Larry reviewed the most disruptive technologies at the annual Consumer Electronics Show.

“A Rational Response to the Privacy ‘Crisis’”, The Cato Institute, January 7, 2013. For Cato, Larry provides policy analysis on pending privacy legislation. This paper forms the basis of Larry’s forthcoming e-book.

“Sticky WCIT: Is this the End of the Internet?”,” Stanford Law School, November 27, 2012. Larry moderates a panel discussion on the upcoming World Conference on International Telecommunications, featuring former Ambassador David Gross.

“Russia demands broad UN role in Net governance, leak reveals”, CNET, November 16, 2012. Larry was the first to report on leaked UN documents that revealed Russian efforts to take over key Internet governance at the WCIT conference.

“This Week in Law #188″, TWIL, November 16, 2012. Larry appeared on This Week in Law to talk electronic privacy, the Petraeus scandal, text spam, post-election tech policy, and more.

“Larry Downes’ Favorite Techdirt Posts of the Week”,” Techdirt, November 10, 2012. At the end of a long week, Larry reviews Techdirt posts and muses on the regulatory agenda for 2013.

“AT&T Moves Dramatically Toward ‘Internet Everywhere’”,” Forbes, November 8, 2012. Announcements from AT&T reflect a dramatic move from legacy copper phone networks to native IP, the final stage of a remarkable network convergence. Larry calls it “Internet Everywhere.”

“Book pioneers are breaking barriers”, The Post and Courier, November 8, 2012. Larry’s talk at O’Reilly Media’s Tool of Change conference on the future of book publishing was covered in The Charlotte Post and Courier.

“Keen on…The Election”,” TechCrunch, October 29, 2012. Larry speaks with TechCrunch’s Andrew Keen about the presidential election and what entrepreneurs wish the candidates were talking about.

“What Does Silicon Valley Want from Government”,” KQED California Report, October 22, 2012. Larry speaks with NPR on the upcoming presidential election and its impact on Silicon Valley. Listen to the full story on The California Report.

“The FCC’s Unstructured Role in Transactions”,” CPI Antitrust Chronicle, October 15, 2012. Larry and Geoffrey A. Manne’s paper for the Competition Policy Institute looks at “mission creep” in the FCC’s review of mergers and other spectrum transactions. The full paper is available on the Social Sciences Research Network.

“U.N. Agency Reassures: We Just Want to Break the Internet, Not Take it Over”,” Forbes, October 1, 2012. Larry continues his campaign against the secret upcoming U.N. conference, taking a close look at clumsy P.R. efforts by the International Telecommunications Union to defend an expanded role for itself in Internet governance.

“What Does Silicon Valley Need from Washington? Less”,” Forbes, October 15, 2012. Larry offers an election manifesto from Silicon Valley, assuming that either party was interested in technology issues.

“EU Telcos Defend UN Internet Takeover Plans,” CNET, September 23 2012. A trade association of Europe’s leading phone companies is pushing back hard against criticism of its plan to have the UN mandate new Internet taxes on high-bandwidth content providers including YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu. Larry’s article for CNET cuts through the double-talk.

“EU Telcos Defend UN Internet Takeover”,” CNET News.com, September 23, 2012. Larry reviews a half-hearted effort by the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association to defend its Internet tax plan, part of the upcoming UN conference.

“VoIP’s Challenge in Replacing a Monopoly”, TMCnet, September 18, 2012. Larry is quoted in this TMCnet article on California SB1161.

“Larry Downes: FCC and Internet Regulation”, The Heartland Institute, September 14, 2012. In this podcast, Larry talks to the Heartland Institute about his recent article on FCC missteps in broadband regulation.

“The Madness of Regulating VoIP as a Public Utility,” Forbes, September 10 2012. Amid growing calls to regulate Internet services by state and local public utility commissions, Larry looks back on the history and purpose of such regulation and concludes the fit is just awful

“Big Telecom Pushes De-Regulation Bill in California”,” The American Independent, September 10, 2012. Larry is quoted at length in another article critical of SB 1161, offering a counter-point to poorly-informed claims about the law’s likely impact.

“Qualcomm-backed Bill Would be ‘Cataclysmic’ for Cost and Quality of California Internet Service, Critics Claim”,” San Diego Reader, September 4, 2012. Larry is quoted at length in this article critical of SB 1161, which California Governor Jerry Brown signed later that month.

“Malaysia’s Internet blackout: Politicisation of online activism?”,” East Asia Forum, August 31, 2012. Larry analysis of the “bitroots” movement is compared to an online blackout in Malaysia staged in protest to new censorship laws.

“Memo to Jerry Brown: Sign SB 1161 for all Internet Users,” CNET, August 30, 2012. In a commentary for CNET, Larry urges California Governor Jerry Brown to sign a bill that would keep the state’s public utilities commission out of VoIP and other Internet-based services.

“The FCC Scores a Hat Trick of Errors on Internet Regulation,” Forbes, August 27, 2012. Larry reviews the FCC’s late-August reports on broadband, special access, and the Verizon-Cable deal. Where the agency sees its role in broadband expanding, Larry argues otherwise.

“Why does the FCC want to tax Internet access?”,” Digital Trends, August 27, 2012. Larry is quoted in this article about efforts by the FCC to transform the Universal Service Fund into a broadband subsidy, without Congressional authorization.

“Criticism of the FCC’s Broadband Progress Report Continues,” Broadband for America, August 24, 2012. Larry’s articles on the 2012 Broadband Progress Report are quoted at length by Broadband for America, an advocacy group representing over 300 member organizations.

“How the FCC Sees Broadband’s 95% Success as 100% Failure,” Forbes, August 23, 2012. Larry takes a close look at the FCC’s annual broadband competition report, and comes to a very different conclusion than the agency’s Democratic commissioners.

“HBRChat: Customer Intelligence, Privacy and the ‘Creepy Factor’”,” Harvard Business Review, August 23, 2012. A Twitter chat on Larry’s Harvard Business Review post on customer intelligence and privacy generated a lively discussion, summarized by HBR..

“Now Best Buy is Even Losing out to Mom and Pop Chains,” Business Insider, August 21, 2012. Further decay in Best Buy’s prospects led several publications to revisit Larry’s January 2012 prediction of the chain’s demise. See also The Daily Beast.

“Customer Intelligence, Privacy, and the ‘Creepy Factor’” Harvard Business Review, August 15, 2012. In his inaugural post for HBR’s blog, Larry looks at how novel uses of information stimulate a visceral reaction in consumers, one that unfortunately tempts legislators and regulators to take action. What to do instead? Usually, nothing.

“Why is the UN Trying to Take Over the Internet?” Forbes, August 9, 2012. For Forbes, Larry looks at recent developments in the lead-up to this year’s rewrite of the leading international telecommunications policy. Constituents with very different agendas are teaming up to use the effort to shift critical control over the Internet and its architecture to an obscure U.N. agency that can’t help but make things worse.

“Users Experience Symptoms of Spectrum Crunch,” Reason, August 7, 2012. Reason’s Steven Titch cites Larry on recent efforts by the federal government to back out of plans to free up spectrum for mobile broadband users.

“One One Year Anniversary, Gig.U Delivers Impressive Results” Forbes, August 6, 2012. Larry takes a close look at Gig.U, a consortium of university towns working to break the 1 gigabit Internet barrier. What communities are willing to give up reveals a great deal of what holds back infrastructure deployment. Hint: it isn’t money.

“Feds to Mobile Users: Drop Dead” CNET News.com, July 30, 2012. Larry parses the details of two recent federal reports on spectrum that suggest agencies are working hard to avoid a Presidential order to free up spectrum for mobile broadband consumers.

“Yahoo v Facebook Enters the Annals as a Big Waste of Money” , CNET News.com, July 6, 2012. Larry speaks with CNET about the end of Yahoo’s lawsuit against Facebook amid a growing tech war over patents.

“This Week in Law #168″ TWIL, June 29, 2012. Larry makes a return visit to “This Week in Law” to discuss the U.N., patents, media blunders in social networking, and Google’s Project Glass.

“The Fight Against SOPA/PIPA and the Rise of the Bitroots Movement” Tech Policy Summit, June 22, 2012. Video from Larry’s panel on the fight against SOPA and PIPA, from the 2012 Tech Policy Summit conference in Napa Valley.

“Why the U.N. Tax Proposal Could Seriously Harm the Web” WebProNews, June 19, 2012. (Video) Larry speaks with WebProNews about the U.N.’s plan to fundamentally alter the structure of the Internet as part of the renegotiation of the International Telecommunications Regulations treaty.

“The U.N. vs. the Internet: The Fight Escalates” CNET, June 19, 2012. Larry reports on increased agitation in Congress and the White House over efforts to hijack the International Telecommunications Union and turn it into the U.N.’s Internet police force.

“How the Tech Insudstry’s Anti-SOPA Tactics Changed Politics” ReadWriteWeb, June 8, 2012. Larry comments at Tech Policy Summit were quoted in this article on the new influence of tech companies in Washington following the defeat of SOPA and PIPA.

“U.N. Could Tax U.S.-based Websites, Leaked Documents Show” CNET, June 7, 2012. In a breakthrough article that received international attention, Larry and CNET’s chief political correspondent Declan McCullagh are first to report on leaked documents from the U.N.’s upcoming treaty conference on international telecommunications that reveal efforts to use the treat to fundamentally change the structure of the ecosystem.

“Techies Agree–They Don’t Lobby Congress Enough” National Journal, June 6, 2012. Larry’s comments from a panel on SOPA/PIPA at Tech Policy Summit were quoted in this article on the changing relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington.

“The FCC Noses Under the Broadband Tent” Forbes, June 6, 2012. Larry warns of the dangers of continued efforts by the FCC to assert authority Congress never gave it over broadband Internet services and suppliers. An order circulated by Chairman Julius Genachowski asked the Commission to reconsider its hands-off policy to middle mile Internet services even as the market is maturing.

“Government Control of Net is Always a Bad Idea” CNET News.com, June 4, 2012. For CNET, Larry looks at a proposed California law that would prohibit the Public Utilities Commission from regulating Voice over Internet Protocol providers of phone services, and hears echoes of efforts by the U.N. to exert its influence as well.

“Resetting the Balance to Save Copyright” Techdirt, May 25, 2012. Part III of Larry’s Techdirt post proposes three simple fixes to the copyright system that would end most of the fighting between technology and media companies.

“You’re Only Making Things Worse for Yourselves, Media Industries” Techdirt, May 23, 2012. Part II of Larry’s Techdirt post on the decline of copyright looks at how the system has become imbalanced between the rights of creators and those of the public, and how the Mickey Mouse curve explains how it happened.

“How Copyright Extension Undermined Copyright” Techdirt, May 21, 2012. Part I of Larry’s inaugural posts for Techdirt looked at the similarities between recent “enhancements” to copyright law and the unenforceability of parking regulations.

“Larry Downes on the FCC Spectrum Roadblock” Internet Innovation Alliance, May 17, 2012. Larry’s article for Bloomberg BNA (subscriber only) on the FCC’s poor track record in averting a spectrum crisis for mobile users is quoted at length in this post by the Internet Innovation Alliance. The Bloomberg BNA article was also quoted at length by the National Taxpayer’s Union.

“Privacy, Sharing, and Publicity” PII 2012, May 15, 2012. Larry interviews provacateur Andrew Keen at the 2012 Privacy, Identity and Innovation conference, talking about his new book “Digital Vertigo.”

“FTC Wants in on Google Antitrust Action” The National Journal, May 6, 2012. Larry is quoted at length in this article reviewing possible antitrust action against Google, warning that the government’s track record with regard to tech companies is usually to do more harm than good.

“Downes Recommends Congressional Action on Spectrum” Engine Advocacy, May 4, 2012. For his first post for Engine Advocacy, Larry called on Congress to step up efforts to force federal agencies to quickly release underutilized spectrum to stave off a crisis for mobile users.

“Best Buy Employee Allegedly Outs Straight Customer on Facebook” The Huffington Post, May 2, 2012. Allegations that a Geek Squad employee had used a customer’s cell phone to post false statements about the customer’s sexual orientation on the customer’s Facebook page validated Larry’s claims that the company’s customer service model had failed. See also Kashmir Hill’s article on Forbes.

“Why CISPA Can’t be Fixed” Forbes, April 25, 2012. Larry comes out strongly against CISPA, proposed cybersecurity legislation that nonetheless passed the House on April 27th. Larry’s “rules for regulators” were featured on Techdirt.

“Solving the Spectrum Crisis” Fierce Mobile IT, April 18, 2012. Larry discusses the closing of the “spectrum frontier” and the implications for federal policy in a full-length article, including a detailed review of a new Commerce Department report on federal spectrum.

“AT&T, Verizon, Sprint Net Neutrality Proposals: Simply Awful,” Forbes, April 12, 2012. Larry dissects poorly-written and counter-productive shareholder proposals being urged on investors of leading mobile carriers to “operate” their networks “consistent” with net neutrality “principles.”

“Why Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn Had to Quit” Forbes, April 10, 2012. In the wake of Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn’s sudden resignation, Forbes Managing Editor Bruce Upbin quotes extensively from Larry’s prior articles on the failing electronics giant.

“Comcast is Not Trying to Kill Net Neutrality” Web Pro News, April 10, 2012. Larry speaks with Web Pro News about the Comcast/Xbox controversy and why it says nothing about so-called “net neutrality” rules passed by the FCC.

“Best Buy CEO Resigns Amid Personal Conduct Investigation” KARE 11, April 10, 2012. Larry was interviewed by KARE 11, the Minneapolis-St.Paul NBC affiliate, on Brian Dunn’s resignation from Best Buy and what happens next for the company.

“This Week in Law #156,” This Week in Tech, April 6, 2012. Larry appeared on This Week in Law with colleague Geoffrey Manne. Topics included antitrust, net neutrality, and Viacom v. YouTube.

“Larry Downes on Comcast and the Xbox Exception,” The National Review, April 4, 2012. Reihan Salam highlights Larry’s articles on Comcast’s new on-demand service offered through XBox.

“No, Comcast is not Breaking the Internet…Again,” CNET News.com, April 2, 2012. Larry takes an in-depth look at complaints about the new Comcast/Xbox service, which demonstrate once again that when all self-styled consumer advocates have is a net neutrality hammer, everything looks like a nail.

“Issues that Concern You: Cyberbullying,” Greenhaven Press, March 31, 2012. Larry’s article on California’s new “e-personation” law was reprinted in this collection of essays aimed at young adult readers. Larry argued that the law was unnecessary and full of unintended errors and loopholes.

“How Comcast is Taking Advantage of the Schminternet,” Marketplace Tech Report, March 29, 2012. Larry spoke with Marketplace’s John Moe about misplaced claims that Comcast’s new service allowing a customer’s XBox to replace a set-top box doesn’t come close to violating the FCC’s “net neutrality” rules, in letter or in spirit.

“Big Surprise: The World has More Best Buy Stores than it Needs,” Time, March 29, 2012. Techland’s Harry McCracken reconsiders Larry’s original Best Buy post in light of the company’s disappointing 2011 results.

“Is Best Buy Following CompUSA, Circuit City to Certain Doom?,” CNET News.com, March 29, 2012. For CNET, Larry recounts the many strategic blunders of the consumer electronics giant in its response to changing technology and consumer buying habits in the wake of a company announcement that it was closing 40 stores.

“Best Buy Grasping at Straws,” Forbes, March 29, 2012. Larry reviews proposals made by Best Buy to reverse its failing business in a follow-up article for Forbes. Other Forbes contributors cited Larry’s writings on the company’s strategy, including Forbes’ staffer Dan Bigman.

“Five Reasons Best Buy Stockholders Should Dread Thursday,” AOL Daily Finance, March 27, 2012. AOL’s Daily Finance cited Larry’s Forbes articles as one of the leading sources of negative pressure on Best Buy as the company headed for its fourth quarter earnings report.

“Sunsetting Technology Regulation: Applying Moore’s Law to Washington,” Forbes, March 25, 2012. Writing for Forbes, Mercatus Center’s Adam Thierer dusts off his copy of “The Laws of Disruption” to argue that technology-specific regulations should be revisited or dropped every 12-18 months.

“Property Rights for Spectrum Make More Sense all the Time,” CNET News.com, March 22, 2012. Larry’s controversial article on CNET dusts off Nobel prizewinning economist Ronald Coases’s 1959 essay on the FCC and argues that now, more than ever, the agency’s command-and-control licensing regime for radio frequencies must go. Coase, as usual, was right all along.

“Hacking Politics,” Demand Progress, March 10, 2012. Larry wrote a chapter for “Hacking Politics,” a free e-book on the fight over SOPA and PIPA and what they mean to the future of Internet regulation. This work-in-progress is available in PDF or e-book formats.

“Big Government and the Spectrum Problem,” Commentary, March 8, 2012. Commentary’s Ted R. Bromund writes, “Larry Downes has a remarkable column on CNET news about the shortage of spectrum for use by mobile broadband. It is a catalog of government ineptitude, incompetence, regulatory capture, and short-sightedness.”

“Pols Fear ‘SOPA Backlash’,” Politico, March 8, 2012. Politico’s Kim Hart spoke with Larry about the aftermath of SOPA, and fears on Capitol Hill that any Internet-related legislation could be met with similar fury. Larry’s comments were widely cited, see stories on the websites Horrible Night and The Next Web, for example.

“FCC Opens Inquiry into BART Mobile Shutdown,” AdWeek, March 2, 2012. Larry is skeptical of a tardy FCC inquiry into an illegal network shutdown by BART police during protests over BART poilce.

“Add Value or Adios,” The Music Trades, March, 2012. The editors of “The Music Trades” took Larry’s Best Buy article as a warning for all retailers to take a sober look at their customer service from the customer’s point-of-view.

“Spectrum Solved? Not Quite” Engine Advocacy, March 1, 2012. Policy startup Engine Advocacy quotes extensively from Larry’s review of recent Congressional actions on spectrum and why they are not enough to head off a mobile communications crisis.

“Larry Downes on Spectrum Sclerosis,” The National Review, Feb. 28, 2012. The National Review’s “Agenda” blog quotes at length from Larry’s call for a new system of spectrum management in the wake of a widely-acknowledged crisis in mobile broadband.

“Averting the Spectrum Crisis: Now for the Hard Part”, CNET News.com, Feb. 27, 2012. With spectrum legislation now concluded, Larry issues an urgent call for short and medium-term solutions to head off an imminent crisis in mobile broadband.

“Innovate or Legislate,” The National Review, Feb. 27, 2012. In an extensive analysis of the SOPA fight, Reiham Salam and Pattrick Ruffini quote from Larry’s controversial Forbes article on the true political nature of Internet users and its reflection of Internet design principles.

“What makes an Idea a Meme?”, Forbes, Feb. 21, 2012. Larry takes a fresh look at the economics of information exchange and the conflicting interests businesses have between enforcing copyrights and letting information spread freely.

“Internet Piracy and How to Stop it” NPR Radio Times, Feb. 16, 2012. Larry speaks with WHYY Radio Times host Marty Moss-Coane on the fight over SOPA and how the media industries still don’t understand who they were fighting.

“How politics inflame the ‘spectrum crisis’” CNET News.com, Feb. 16, 2012. In New York, Larry was interviewed by CNET’s Maggie Reardon for this news story on the political firefight over spectrum auctions that erupted between Congress and the FCC.

“Metal, Code, Flesh: Why we need a ‘Rights on the Internet’ Declaration” Aljazeera, Feb. 15, 2012. Nicolas Mendoza picks up on Larry’s controversial “bitroots” declaration from Forbes in light of continued protests over copyright extensions, this time in the form of the ACTA treaty.

“The Last Temptation of Steve Ditko,” Forbes, Feb. 14, 2012. Larry goes somewhat off-script in this screed on Broadway’s Spider-Man musical, the tragedy of “work-for-hire” copyright law, and the Randian philosophy or comic book artist Steve Ditko.

“SOPA and the Future of Internet Governance,” Justia, Feb. 13, 2012. Writing for Justia’s “Verdict,” Internet law pioneer David Post quotes Larry in his extensive review of the successful effort to block SOPA.

“FCC Lifeline Program: Will the Revamp Solve the Fraud?,” Web Pro News, Feb. 12, 2012. Larry is interviewed on the reform of the Lifeline program and the FCC’s efforts to transform it without authority from Congress into a broadband subsidy.

“The Gradual Death of the Brick and Mortar Tech Store,” Slashdot, Feb. 9, 2012. Larry’s first Best Buy article generated nearly 500 comments on Slashdot.

“FCC Wants $25 Million for Cell Phone Subsidy Program ‘Fraught with Fraud’,” U.S. News and World Report, Feb. 8, 2012. Larry is quoted at length in this U.S. News story on the FCC’s efforts to reform the Lifeline program, universally regarded as out-of-control and characterized by waste, abuse, and fraud.

“Larry Downes: Why Best Buy is Going out of Business (Not so Gradually),” TechCrunch TV, Feb. 7, 2012. Andrew Keen and Larry discuss the future of retailing, and what the spread of Larry’s Best Buy articles say about information flow in the digital age.

“SOPA: Mob Rule or Direct Democracy,” TechCrunch TV, Feb. 6, 2012. Larry speaks with TechCrunch’s Andrew Keen on the fight to stop SOPA, and what it means for the future of Internet activism.

“Larry Downes: the Need for Fair and Open Spectrum Auctions,” The Heartland Institute, Feb. 2, 2012. On this podcast with Heartland editor Bruce Walker, Larry explains the risk to innovation of letting the FCC continue its quixotic practice of picking winners and losers in designing spectrum auctions and burdening licenses with quickly-outdated conditions.

“Unscrambling the FCC’s Net Neutrality Order,” CommLaw Conspectus, Feb. 1, 2012. Larry’s law review article deconstructs the FCC’s late 2010 Net Neutrality order, now the subject of an intense legal battle.

“For Spectrum, We Need Fair and Open Auctions, not Professional Wrestling,” Forbes, Feb. 1, 2012. Larry takes on former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt in arguing for pending House legislation on new spectrum auctions, pointing out how the FCC has abused previous “flexibility” to pick winners and losers with little rhyme or reason.

“FCC Reforms Phone Subsidy Program,” CNET News.com, Jan. 31, 2012. Larry contributed extensively to this article by Maggie Reardon looking at long-overdo reforms to the FCC’s Universal Service Fund and in particular the Lifeline and Linkup programs.

“Larry Downes on the Movement for Internet Freedom,” The National Review, Jan. 31, 2012. The National Review’s Reihan Salam has kind words for Larry’s controversial article on the growth of a “bitroots” movement and its future after the SOPA/PIPA fight.

“Will Lifeline Guarantee High-Speed Internet for All?,” The Los Angeles Times, Jan. 31, 2012. Larry is quoted in an L.A. Times editorial on reform of the FCC’s Lifeline program and plans to change it into a low-income broadband subsidy.

“Google Forges Ahead with Search, Privacy Changes,” The Hill, Jan. 29, 2012. Brendan Sasso interviews Larry on Google’s decision to move ahead with changes to its privacy policy despite intense regulatory scrutiny.

“Mary Hodder and the Lifeboat of Fire,” This Week in Law, Jan. 27, 2012. Larry was a guest on “This Week in Law” to discuss the aftermath of the SOPA/PIPA fight, spectrum battles in Congress, and other recent legal developments in technology policy.

“The Internet’s Collectivist Blarney,” The National Post, Jan. 27, 2012. The National Post’s Terrence Corcoran takes issue with Larry’s view of the emerging political identity of Internet users.

“Top 100 Influencers in Social Media,” Social Technology Review, Jan. 27, 2012. Larry is named to #73 in this list of influential users of social media, just ahead of Tim Tebow and just behind the Dalai Lama!

“Once More with Feeling: It Wasn’t Silicon Valley or Google that Stopped SOPA/PIPA, it was the Internet,” Techdirt, Jan. 26, 2012. Techdirt picks up the themes from Larry’s much-discussed Forbes article arguing that Internet users became the definitive force behind the successful campaign to stop quick passage of new copyright laws.

“Who Really Stopped SOPA, and Why?,” Forbes, Jan. 25, 2012. Larry’s detailed after-action report on the SOPA/PIPA fight suggests that Internet users have become a force on their own in technology policy, for better and perhaps for worse.

“Mr. Internet Goes to Washington,” AdWeek, Jan. 23, 2012. Larry is quoted in an article reviewing the changing role of Internet users in advocating tech policy, in light of the successful fight to stop quick passage of SOPA and PIPA.

“Unintended Consequences of the Rogue Website Crackdown,” Cato Institute, Jan. 19, 2012. Larry participated in this SRO briefing for Congressional staff to discuss the dangers of pending new copyright legislation, which also featured speakers from the Competitive Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation.

“The Clouding of Entertainment Media,” State of the Net 2012, Jan. 18, 2012. Larry participated in a panel discussion on how cloud computing is challenging media industries and how legal strategies can help or harm the transition to digital distribution.

“At CES, the Only Law that Matters is Moore’s Law,” Forbes, Jan. 16, 2012. Larry ponders the meaning of nearly 2 million square feet of consumer electronics exhibits on the Las Vegas convention center floor.

“How the Consumer Electronics Show Lost its Spark,” CNN, Jan. 13, 2012. CNN special correspondent Andrew Keen uses Larry’s Best Buy articles as a metaphor for the failing service culture evident at CES.

“At CES, FCC Chair Warns of ‘Spectrum Crunch’–For the Third Time,” CNET News.com, Jan. 12, 2012. In a second report from CES, Larry analyzes the continuing failure of the FCC to resolve the “spectrum crunch” it first identified almost three years earlier.

“SOPA Firefight Comes to CES,” CNET News.com, Jan. 11, 2012. Reporting from CES, Larry notes a key turning point in efforts to beat back draconian new copyright legislation pending in Congress.

“The People vs. Best Buy, Round Two,” Forbes, Jan. 9, 2012. Larry’s responds to thousands of responses to the original Best Buy post, and offers more evidence that company executives don’t see the transformation happening just out of their peripheral vision.

“Why Best Buy is Destined to Fail,” MSN Money, Jan. 9, 2012. Larry’s original Best Buy posted was reprinted on MSN Money, generating thousands of comments.

“Best Buy Chief Hits Back at Critics,” The Financial Times, Jan. 6, 2012. Larry’s two Forbes articles on Best Buy’s failing strategy generated plenty of response, including from the company’s CEO. The Financial Times reports.

“Has Hollywood Hubris Awakened Silicon Valley?,” Techdirt, Jan. 6, 2012. Techdirt’s Mike Masnick reviews Larry’s CNET post on Engine Advocacy and the rebirth of Silicon Valley political activism on technology policy.

“The New Politics of Silicon Valley: Revenge of the Nerds,” CNET News.com, Jan. 5, 2012. For CNET, Larry looks at the rise of political activism in Silicon Valley in response to SOPA and Protect-IP. Is this a blip or is it a movement?

“Remember Customer Service? Me Neither,” The Huffington Post, Jan. 5, 2012. The Huffington Post’s Ann Brenoff weighs in on Larry’s controversial Best Buy article and the decline of customer service.

“Why Best Buy is Going out of Business…Gradually,” Forbes, Jan. 2, 2012. Larry’s provocative article on dwindling prospects for the consumer electronics retailer created unprecedented buzz, generating more page views in the week it appeared than actual visitors to Best Buy stores. Thousands of customers posted comments at Forbes, Reddit, and other sites to tell their own horror stories of a company that appears to have traded market share for customer service.

2011

“Why Does Big Labor Support the Stop Online Piracy Act?” The New American, Dec 31, 2011. Larry’s analysis of the OPEN Act is quoted in detail in this article on the political backlash to SOPA and Protect IP.

“FCC Changes its Mind About Spectrum,” Forbes, Dec 23, 2011. With approval of the AT&T/Qualcomm deal, Larry discovers that the change in spectrum policy that poisoned the T-Mobile analysis turns out never to have happened, raising even more questions about the agency’s dangerous turn away from its independent charter. Reprinted at The Daily Caller.

“US Spectrum Disconnect – AT&T Drops Bid to Acquire T-Mobile USA,” Silicon Republic, Dec. 20, 2011. Larry’s statement on the collapse of the AT&T/T-Mobile deal is quoted at length in this analysis of the future of U.S. spectrum policy.

“Trust Busting,” The Harvard Political Review, Dec. 10, 2011. Larry talks spectrum policy and the paradox of U.S. government position on the AT&T/T-Mobile merger.

“FCC Plays Fast and Loose with the Law…Again,” The Hill, Dec 8, 2011. Larry digs deeper into the FCC’s draft AT&T/T-Mobile report, and finds evidence in a footnote that politics played a disturbing and possibly illegal role in making the deal look worse on paper. This op-ed for The Hill was the paper’s most-read article for the week.

“Lawmakers Unveil Sensible Alternative to SOPA,” CNET News.com, Dec 8, 2011. Larry evaluates the OPEN Act, an alternative to SOPA proposed by a surprising bi-partisan coalition that includes Rep. Darrell Issa, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, and other innovation-friendly members of Congress.

“A Strategic Plan for the FCC: The Future Ain’t What it Used to Be,” Forbes, Dec 5, 2011. In a widely quoted analysis, Larry dusts off a 1999 strategic plan prepared by then FCC Chairman William Kennard and finds it still remarkably relevant to today’s problems at the agency.

“FCC: Ready for Reform Yet?” , CNET News.com, Dec 1, 2011. For CNET, Larry comments on the FCC’s disturbing decision to release an unfinished draft of its staff report on the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, just as Congress is considering extensive reform of the wayward agency.

“How Effective is Justice Department Crackdown on Counterfeit Goods Dealers?” , PBS Newshour, Nov. 30, 2011. Host Gwen Ifill moderated a debate on domain name seizures, SOPA and PIPA between Larry and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on the PBS Newshour.

“Horror Show: Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley” , The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 28, 2011. Larry’s coverage of SOPA and PIPA is quoted by the Wall Street Journal’s Gordon Crovitz in a seminal article on the growing divide between old and new media and efforts to use the law to mediate it.

“The Revolt Against Congress’s New Internet Piracy Proposals” , Forbes, Nov. 28, 2011. Larry’s review of the rising opposition in Silicon Valley to Congressional meddling with core Internet engineering to respond to concerns about media piracy was widely quoted and republished. It was featured on The Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital.

“This Week in Law: A Face for Booze,” This Week in Law, Nov. 18, 2011. Larry appeared on This Week in Law with Denise Howell to discuss the week’s developments in technology policy, including SOPA, the Patriot Act, and net neutrality.

“Aarrgh: Congress Bungles Piracy Legislation,” The Heartland Institute, Nov. 18, 2011. Larry recorded a podcast with The Heartland Institute’s Bruce Walker to discuss developments in Congressional piracy laws, including SOPA and PIPA.

“Sham of SOPA Hearing Riles up Key Internet Figures,” Silicon Republic, Nov. 16, 2011. Larry is quoted at length in this article criticizing unbalanced Judiciary Committee hearings on SOPA.

“Justin Bieber and Net Neutrality: House Copyright Law Inspires PR War,” Daily Caller, Nov. 16, 2011. Larry speaks with the Daily Caller’s Josh Peterson on the three most serious flaws in the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act.

“House SOPA Hearings Reveal Anti-Internet Bias on Committee, Witness List,” EWeek, Nov. 16, 2011. Larry spoke with eWeek’s Wayne Rash about House hearings over SOPA and their unbalanced witnesses.

“Making Privacy Profitable,” PII Venture Forum, Nov. 15, 2011. Larry interviews Jim Brock of Privacy Choice, Chris Babel of Trust E, and investor Chris Kelly on how consumer privacy demands can be turned into profitable businesses.

“Despite Senate Victory, Court Battle Looms for Net-Neutrality Rules,” The Hill, Nov. 13, 2011. Larry spoke to The Hill’s Brendan Sasso following the Senate’s failure to nullify the FCC’s net neutrality rules. Larry explains the legal challenges to come in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“Debating Congressional Anti-Piracy Legislation,” Congressional Internet Caucus, Nov. 10, 2011. Larry participated in a Capitol Hill debate over pending copyright legislation, sponsored by the Congressional Internet Caucus. Audio is available here.

“Piracy Legislation Needed to Solve Huge Problem, Experts Say,” PC World, Nov. 10, 2011. IDG’s coverage of the Congressional Internet Caucus debate on SOPA and PIPA.

“New Anti-Piracy Legislation Would Break the Internet Without Stopping Piracy,” Reason, Nov. 8, 2011. The rising chorus of opposition to SOPA includes Reason’s Peter Suderman, who quotes from Larry’s blog posts and CNET article.

“Three Libertarians Raise Concerns About the Stop Online Piracy Act,” CATO at Liberty, Nov. 7, 2011. Timothy B. Lee of the Cato Institute reviews critiques of SOPA by market-oriented think tank scholars, including Larry.

“Stop SOPA, PIPA and E-PARASITE,” Software Development Times, Nov. 6, 2011. Larry’s critique of SOPA was cited by SD Times’ J.D. Hildebrand.

“The RIAA Defends SOPA in the Fight over Content Rights,” CNET TV, Nov. 4, 2011. Larry debated the RIAA’s Mitch Glazier on the dangers of the Stop Online Piracy Act as part of CNET TV’s “Reporters’ Roundtable.” You can watch the video or download audio of the podcast.

“Larry Downes on SOPA,” National Review, Nov. 2, 2011. Kind words from National Review’s Reihan Salam on Larry’s analysis of the Stop Online Piracy Act.

“The Article on E-Parasite That You Need to Read,” TechDirt, Nov. 2, 2011. Mike Masnick writes that Larry’s analysis of SOPA “is, hands down, the most thorough and complete article I’ve seen highlighting the massive problems of the bill.” Masnick’s own analysis, in several posts, is not to be missed.

“Oops, they Did it Again: What we Didn’t Learn from U.S. v. Microsofy,” CPI Antitrust Chronicle, Nov. 1 2011. Larry’s article for a special issue of CPI Antitrust Chronicle compares failures in the prosecution of Microsoft in the 1990′s to the Justice Department’s troubling complaint opposing the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. (subscription required)

“SOPA: Hollywood’s Latest Effort to Turn Back Time,” CNET News.com, Nov. 1 2011. Larry’s detailed analysis and commentary on the risks of passing the “Stop Online Piracy Act” proved controversial and newsworthy.

“China Tangles with Internet Access,” Politico, Oct. 31, 2011. Larry’s spoke with Politico’s Michelle Quinn on the danger of human rights organizations, such as the Global Network Initiative, that require technology companies to lobby foreign governments on Internet policies.

“Monster Cable Points to ‘E-Parasite’ Flaws, Critics Say,” The Daily Caller, Oct. 31, 2011. Larry notes that Monster Cable’s “pirate websites” list includes partners such as Sears and Wal-Mart, as well as Craigslist, EBay and Facebook. This leading supporter of the Stop Online Piracy Act clearly has hopes of using its new powers to suppress secondary markets, resales, and customer criticism.

“Statement on Stop Online Piracy Act,” TechFreedom, Oct. 28, 2011. Larry’s statement, critical of the introduction of SOPA, the “Stop Online Piracy Act,” was widely quoted and reprinted. See Digital Rights Watch and CopyHype.

Compass Summit 2011, Panel Discussions, October 25, 2011. Larry moderated two panels at this year’s Compass Summit, sponsored by McKinsey & Co. and Scientific American and moderated by NPR’s Ira Flatow. Larry’s panels covered “Privacy in Platform Design” and “Networks and the Rule of Law.” Click on the links for full video.

Networks and the Rule of Law,” Compass Summit, Oct. 25, 2011. Larry moderated two panels on innovation and regulation at this year’s Compass Summitt, featuring leading engineers and policy analysts from Google, Facebook, and August Capital’s David Hornik. Video for the panels can be viewed here and here.

“FCC, DOJ Roadblocks dim Prospects for AT&T/T-Mobile Merger,” The Hill, Oct. 11, 2011. Larry spoke with The Hill on the FCC’s continuing role in the on-going AT&T/T-Mobile merger.

“The Law of Disruption Occupies Wall Street,” Forbes, Oct. 16, 2011. For Forbes, Larry puts the “Occupy Wall Street” movement in the context of The Law of Disruption. Technology changes exponentially, but governments change incrementally. Collisions are unavoidable, but need not be violent.

“Will Net Neutrality be Killed by Litigation?” NPR Marketplace Tech Report, October 4, 2011. Larry explains why the FCC’s net neutrality rules are likely to fail in court challenges brought by both supporters and detractors, in an interview on NPR Marketplace’s Tech Report.

“Net Neutrality: Unnecessary and Burdensome Regulations,” Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), Sept. 30, 2011. Sen. Boozman cited Larry’s recent Forbes article in his comments on an upcoming Net Neutrality vote in the Senate.

“U.S. Suit Against Mobile Merger Misguided” Orange County Register, Sept. 28, 2011. Larry’s op-ed argues that the narrow reading of market dynamics in the AT&T/T-Mobile lawsuit draws unfortunate comparisons to the mid-1990′s crusade against Microsoft.

“The True Cost of Net Neutrality” Forbes, Sept. 26, 2011. After nearly a year of delay, the FCC published its controversial net neutrality rules. For Forbes, Larry reviews the costs of the order, both to the value of spectrum and to the agency’s relationship with Congress. The article was widely quoted, see The Benton Foundation, Red State, and Corporate Counsel.

Chandra Steele, “Antirust Suits: Government v Tech, Google v U.S.” PC Magazine, Sept. 22, 2011. Reviewing recent antitrust moves by the Department of Justice and Congress, PC Magazine cites “The Laws of Disruption” for the proposition that regulators always lag dangerously behind technology markets.

L. Gordon Crovitz, “AT&T and the Economics of Monopoly” The Wall Street Journal, Sept. 18, 2011. Former Journal publisher Gordon Crovitz quotes from Larry’s Forbes article on the dangers of the Department of Justice lawsuit against AT&T’s merger with T-Mobile.

“Privacy Roundtable” U.S. Capitol, Sept. 14, 2011. Larry joins Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tn) and leading privacy policy experts for a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill. Watch the video on YouTube.

“Spectrum Policy for Innovation” ITIF, Sept. 13, 2011. Larry, along with FCC and Congressional staffers, responds to a new study by ITIF’s Richard Bennett on solving the spectrum crunch. See event coverage in Broadcasting & Cable and the Bureau of National Affairs.

“Does Your iPhone Service Suck? Blame City Hall” CNET News.com, Sept. 8, 2011. For CNET, Larry analyzes recent FCC filings to show how local authorities make it difficult for mobile carriers to improve service. In cities with the highest rates of complaints by users, carriers are thwarted from efforts to add new towers and antennae by incompetent and corrupt zoning boards.

“Feds Right to Block Telcom Merger?” USA Today, Sept. 2, 2011. Larry’s post on the Department of Justice lawsuit against AT&T was reprinted in USA Today.

“Fair Weather Friends” National Journal, Sept. 2, 2011. Larry is quoted at length in Sara Jerome’s analysis of tech industry opposition to new copyright legislation pending in Congress.

“Justice Condemns AT&T/T-Mobile: Three Reasons Silicon Valley Should Worry,” Forbes.com, Sept. 1, 2011. In the wake of a federal lawsuit aimed at blocking the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, Larry warned Silicon Valley about a dangerous turn in the Obama Administration’s attitude–and understanding–of technology industries. Among other mentions, the article was quoted by the National Antitrust Hall of Fame, Media Freedom, Seeking Alpha and Red State.

“Five Essential Changes to Protect IP Act,” CNET News.com, Aug. 17, 2011. Larry proposes five key changes to the Senate’s Protect IP Act, as the House prepares its own version. The article proved provocative, generating response from TechDirt’s Mike Masnick and the Motion Picture Association of America. See also the National Journal.

Todd Shields and Sara Forden, “AT&T Seeks to Bolster T-Mobile Case as Doubts Rise in Poll,” Bloomberg Business Week, Aug. 12, 2011. Larry is quoted in this article looking at developments in the government’s review of AT&T’s pending merger with T-Mobile USA. See also San Francisco Chronicle and Law and Politics of Broadband.

“Is Net Neutrality Blocking FCC Spectrum Auctions?,” CNET News.com, July 29, 2011. Larry looks at new evidence suggesting much-needed spectrum for mobile Internet users has become a political football between Congress, still angry over last year’s net neutrality mess, and the FCC. The article was reprinted in Wireless Week and at The Internet Freedom Coalition.

“Protecting IP While Preserving the Internet,” U.S. House of Representatives, July 25, 2011. Video from a briefing on Capitol Hill on the dangers of proposed legislation to extend U.S. enforcement over foreign “rogue” websites.

“The iPhone, Android, and the FCC: Obeying the Prime Directive,” Forbes.com, July 18, 2011. For Forbes, Larry looks in detail at the state of the mobile industry, noting that the most significant hurdles to competition, according to the FCC, are regulatory.

“Opinion: California PUC Should Approve Merger of AT&T and T-Mobile,” San Jose Mercury News, July 6, 2011. Larry and law professor Geoffrey Manne review key findings in the FCC’s annual review of the wireless industry, concluding that the strong evidence of a vibrant, competitive industry provide ample evidence to support approval of AT&T’s merger with T-Mobile USA.

“Video games given full First Amendment protection,” CNET News.com, June 27, 2011. Larry’s detailed review of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision rejecting California’s violent video game law as a facial violation of the First Amendment.

“Regulating pirates is like ‘shutting down a crack house.’ Only harder,” Silicon Angle, June 17, 2011. Coverage (including video) of Arts & Lab’s CREATE panel on pending legislation to curb “rogue” websites. Larry appeared with Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Rep. Jared Polis, Andrew Keen and others.

“Spectrum reform, public safety network, move forward in Senate,” CNET News.com, June 11, 2011. Larry reviews the prospects for a bi-partisan bill introduced in the Senate aimed at heading off an imminent spectrum crisis for mobile users.

“Larry Downes on IP enforecement online,” Mercatus Center, June 7, 2011. Larry was the guest for Jerry Brito’s “Surprisingly Free” podcast to discuss the pros and cons of proposed new legislation aimed at curbing online piracy. (30 minutes)

“PII Podcast – Privacy, Personal Data and Publicness – Where are we Heading?” PII 2011, June 2, 2011. Podcast of the panel hosted by the Wall Street Journal’s Julia Angwin on the future of the privacy debate. Larry appeared with Marc Davis, Michael Fertick and Chris Kelly. (40 minutes)

“For AT&T merger, Sprint dusts off its Christmas list,” CNET News.com, May 25, 2011. Larry review the facts about Sprint’s claim that the AT&T/T-Mobile merger would impact the obscure but essential “backhaul” market for mobile communications, concluding that regulatory arbitrage is well underway.

“Leahy’s Protect IP Act: Why Internet content wars will never end,” Forbes.com, May 16, 2011. In a longer essay reviewing the Protect IP Act, Larry argues that the content industries are fighting a losing battle in the courts and in legislatures against the Internet itself. Instead, they should be moving more quickly to adapt to new distribution platforms. See commentary at Centre for Innovation Law and Policy, New York City Culture Blog , A Farther Room, Scott McLeod’s Mind Dump, Search Engine Watch and Digital Trends.

“The Protect IP Act is about the old media industry going to war with the Internet,” Techdirt, May 16, 2011. Larry’s articles on Protect IP were the subject of a long commentary from Techdirt’s Mike Masnick.

“Digital revolutionaries under surveillance,” Australian Broadcasting Company, May 15, 2011. Larry was the guest on Australian radio’s Background Briefing to discuss censorship and surveillance of political dissidents, and the ill-fated Global Network Initiative aimed at providing cover for tech companies who cooperate with governments.

“Leahy’s Protect IP act even worse than COICA,” CNET News.com, May 12, 2011. Larry files an initial review of the new Protect IP Act, aimed at curbing online piracy, shortly after its introduction by Sen. Patrick Leahy. Though many improvements were made over last year’s version, known as COICA, the bill is still a dangerous tinkering with the mechanics of the Internet in the name of a dubious goal.

Are your gadgets spying on you?” NPR Science Friday, May 6, 2011. Larry debates Senator Al Franken on whether the Apple iPhone flap suggests a need for new federal regulations of mobile devices. Audio is available here.

“FCC mandates data roaming, but they still don’t know the territory,” Forbes.com, May 5, 2011. Larry’s long analysis for Forbes of a controversial–and possibly illegal–new FCC ruling requiring wireless communications carriers to offer data roaming plans to competitors at rates overseen by the agency.

“Privacy panic debate: whose data is it? CNET News.com, April 27, 2011. Larry’s commentary for CNET on what the Apple iPhone geolocation flap says about our muddled view of privacy in the digital age. “Owning your own data” is an oxymoron in several respects.

“The net neutrality fight goes on, Forbes.com, April 12, 2011. Larry was in Washington for the House vote to disapprove the FCC’s December, 2010 “net neutrality” rulemaking, and covered the event–and the likely next steps–for Forbes.com. See also coverage at Internet Freedom Coalition and Amplify Your Voice.

“What should lawmakers do about rogue websites,” Competitive Enterprise Institute, April 7, 2011. Larry appeared at the National Press Club to discuss current and proposed federal laws aimed at curbing online piracy, in an event sponsored by the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

“Why no one will join the Global Network Initiative,” Forbes.com, March 30, 2011. Larry’s long investigative piece for Forbes looks at the troubled history of the human rights group Global Network Initiative and recent pressure on Facebook, Twitter and others to join it. See commentary at Human Rights First.

“NY to scrutinize AT&T and T-Mobile Merger,” CNET News.com, March 29, 2011. Larry talks to CNET’s Marguerite Reardon about the potential for state antitrust regulators to get involved in reviewing the AT&T/T-Mobile merger.

“AT&T and T-Mobile: Listen before your judge,” CNET News.com, March 20, 2011. On the day AT&T announced its planned merger with T-Mobile USA, Larry laid out some of the main issues that have since dominated the debate over the transaction and its compliance with U.S. antitrust law. His article was quoted in Slate.com, WSJ SmartMoney, and Cato at Liberty.

“The Communicators at State of the Net,” C-SPAN, March 19, 2011. Larry was interviewed at State of the Net 2011 for C-SPAN’s “The Communicators.” Follow the link for the video.

“Five Reasons Why the US Domaian Seizures are Unconstitutional,” TorrentFreak, March 12, 2011. In a much-reprinted article, Larry’s legal analysis of domain name seizures by the Department of Homeland Security is quoted extensively.

“Is Digital Utopianism Dead?,” Forbes.com, March 10, 2011. Reflecting on more than 10 years working with Internet technologies, Larry asks again why it is that open always wins and closed always loses, and why that matters to Internet policy.

“Ideas in Action with Jim Glassman: The Next Digital Decade,” Public Broadcasting System, March 8, 2011. Larry speaks with “Ideas in Action” host Jim Glassman and law professor Geoffrey Manne about the next digital decade.’

“I Want my Spectrum Inventory,” Forbes, March 3, 2011. Writing for Forbes, Larry explains in detail why a spectrum inventory is essential, and speculates on reasons the FCC has avoided completing one.

“Snowe, Kerry Introduce Spectrum Inventory Bill,” CNET News.com, March 2, 2011. For CNET, Larry analyzes efforts by Congress and the White House to force the FCC to complete a long-overdue and much-needed inventory of existing spectrum licenses, in the wake of an imminent “spectrum crisis” for mobile broadband Internet.

“Internet Cop,” Reason Magazine, March, 2011. For Peter Suderman’s full-length article reviewing FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s tenure to date, Larry is quoted extensively on the battle for net neutrality and the toll it took on the agency’s larger agenda.

“Congress Zeroes in on FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules,” CNET News.com, Feb. 23, 2011. For CNET, Larry analyzes several actions taken in the early weeks of the new Congress to nullify the FCC’s Dec., 2010 Open Internet Order. Republicans have made the issue the test case for their new House majority, putting the White House in an awkward position.

“Sohn, Downes, Glass to Testify at Internet Hearings: Excerpts,” The Hill, Feb. 15, 2011. The Hill published excerpts from Larry’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.

“Deep in the Net Neutrality Trenches,” Forbes, Feb. 21, 2011. Larry’s inaugural “Law of Disruption” column for Forbes.com recounts his experience testifying before Congress on net neutrality.

“Verbatim: Talking Heads,” Time, Feb. 14, 2011. Larry’s article on governing the Internet for Slate was excerpted in the “Talking Heads” section of Time magazine.

“Verizon Loses Early Skirmish in Net Neutrality Litigation,” CNET News.com, February 3, 2011. For CNET, Larry explains why Verizon is determined to keep its net neutrality appeal in the same D.C. court that overruled the FCC in its earlier case against Comcast.

“Court Rejects Verizon’s Net Neutrality Judge Shopping, but Lawsuit Continues,” Talking Points Memo, Feb. 3, 2011. Larry is interviewed for Talking Points Memo on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeal’s rejection of Verizon’s request to have its case heard by the same panel of judges who decided the Comcast appeal in April, 2010.

“AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile Unlikely to Challenge Net Neutrality,” Talking Points Memo, January 31, 2011. Larry speculates on why some broadband providers may be less likely than others to challenge the FCC in court.

“Save the Internet by Doing Nothing,” Slate, January 28, 2011. In connection with the New America Foundation’s Future Tense conference, Larry’s first article for Slate described the mismatch between disruptive technologies and modern democratic governments. The essay was selected by The Atlantic as one of the five best Internet postings of the week.

“Verizon Challenges FCC’s Net Neutrality Rules,” The San Jose Mercury-News, January 20, 2011. Larry was quoted in Mike Zapler’s story on Verizon’s lawsuit against the FCC’s December, 2010 Open Internet rulemaking. “It’s very vulnerable,” Downes said.

“Tech Priorities for New Congress: From Old to New,” CNET News.com, January 19, 2011. Reporting from the annual State of the Net Congress of the Congressional Internet Caucus, Larry reported on the likely technology priorities for the new Congress, including nullification of the FCC’s net neutrality ruling, spectrum and Universal Service reform, privacy and domain name seizures.

“Experts: FCC Net Neutrality Decision Sets up Court Battle,” CIO Magazine, January 19, 2011. Larry’s comments at State of the Net 2011 were quoted extensively, including his prediction that lawsuits over the FCC’s Open Internet order were imminent.

“State of the Net 2011: Congress and the Open Internet,” Congressional Internet Caucus, January 19, 2011. Video from the annual State of the Net Conference, where Larry spoke about the FCC’s Net Neutrality order and the agency’s decision to punt the problem through a badly defective rulemaking.

“Spectrum Worries at CES: Deja vu all Over Again,” The Wall Street Journal All Things Digital, January 8, 2011. Larry’s second dispatch from CES was picked up by the Wall Street Journal’s All Things Digital. FCC Commissioners, Congressional staff, and industry represented made clear that reallocating limited spectrum for fast-growing mobile broadband uses had become a top priority for the FCC. Unfortunately, that was the message at last year’s CES as well.

“Net Neutrality Fight far From Over,” CNET News.com, January 7, 2011. Larry’s first of two posts from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show revealed the angry mood among Republicans of the incoming Congress regarding the FCC’s December net neutrality order. A Verizon executive refused to rule out the possibility of challenging the order in court–which the company did soon after.

2010

“An Audacious Plan”, KQED Perspectives, December 22, 2010. Larry’s radio commentary for KQED’s “Perspectives” series compared the National Broadband Plan to Albert Gallatin’s original plan for U.S. infrastructure in the early 1800′s.

“FCC’s Net Neutrality Ruling: Misplaced Nostalgia”, CNET News.com, December 21, 2010. On the day of the FCC’s 3-2 vote to adopt net neutrality rules, Larry points out that the kind of Internet the Commission seeks to “preserve” is of an earlier, less useful, generation. The new rules may have the unintended consequence of freezing the very innovation it seeks to encourage. The column was cited in a number of publications, including Money Daily, Executive Gov, Cato at Liberty and Outside the Beltway.

“Why does the FCC want to Regulate Wireless less than Broadband?”, Marketplace, December 15, 2010. Larry appeared on the public radio program “Marketplace” to discuss the FCC’s decision to exclude wireless broadband from many of the rules it planned to apply to wired broadband.

“Search Warrants and Online Data: Getting Real”, CNET News.com, December 15, 2010. For CNET, Larry analyzes an important decision from the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals declaring parts of the Stored Communications Act to be unconstitutional. The decision is an important win for cloud users and providers, making clear that data stored in the cloud enjoys Forth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

“Keen on: Exposed, The Unholy Alliance Opposed to Solving the Net Neutrality Problem”, TechCrunch TV December 8, 2010. Larry was interviewed by TechCrunch’s Andrew Keen, explaining why the FCC’s decision to vote on net neutrality rules was by no means the end of the story.

“FCC Claims More Rules Equal More Freedom”, The New York Post December 2, 2010. Larry’s op-ed from The Orange County Register was quoted in a New York Post article critical of the FCC’s decision to vote on the net neutrality rules.

“Net Neutrality Rules Back”, Orange County Register December 1, 2010. Larry’s op-ed on the FCC’s sudden decision to vote on net neutrality just before the new Congress took office pointed out there was still no need for the rules, a year after they were first introduced as urgent.

“A Non-Specific Net Neutrality Proposal”, Reason December 1, 2010. Larry spoke with Reason Magazine’s Peter Suderman about the FCC’s December agenda and what it really meant.

“FCC Sets Showdown on Net Neutrality”, Time December 1, 2010. Larry was quoted in Alex Altman’s column for Time on the surprising decision by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski to put a vote on net neutrality on the agency’s December agenda.

“Homeland Security’s Domain Name Seizure May Stretch the Law Past its Breaking Point”, Techdirt November 30, 2010. Larry’s legal analysis of the domain name seizures under the law of civil forfeiture was quoted extensively by Techdirt’s Mike Masnick. See also commentary in IEEE Spectrum.

“Food Fight Over Internet Fee Dispute Goes Public”, CBS News November 30, 2010. Larry was quoted in CBS News’s story on the Level 3-Comcast story as the issue became more clearly one over content delivery networks and not net neutrality, as Level 3 claimed. See also commentary by The AtlanticWire.

“Level 3 Takes Spat with Comcast Public”, CNET News.com November 29, 2010. Early in the unfolding story of Level 3′s complaint that Comcast was playing hardball with its traffic, Larry was quick to doubt that the story had anything to do with net neutrality. The facts confirmed it was not.

“Government’s Internet Crackdown was Aimed to Thwart ‘Cyber Monday’ Crimes”, The Hill November 29, 2010. Larry was quoted in this report on the seizure by the Department of Homeland Security of domain names believed to be associated with trademark and copyright infringement.

“Memo to Washington: it’s the broadband, stupid”, CNET News.com November 18, 2010. On the eve of a rumored decision by the FCC to move forward with its long-stalled net neutrality rulemaking, Larry urges all policy stakeholders to abandon regulatory minutia in favor of resurrecting the forgotten but crucial National Broadband Plan. See commentary at Daily Kos and The Benton Foundation.

“My own private memory hole”, CNET News.com, November 16, 2010. Larry looks into the European Commission’s proposed “right to be forgotten” and argues against it. The information economy uses information as its fuel, and the pending legislation, though well-intentioned, has disastrous potential. See commentary at World Net Daily.

“Waxman’s Net Neutrality Proposal Less Dangerous than Genachowski’s”, Roll Call, November 2, 2010. On election day, Roll Call newspaper carried Larry’s op-ed urging the FCC not to go ahead with controversial plans to reclassify broadband Internet, regardless of the voting outcome. See commentary at Internet Innovation Alliance and Internet Freedom Coaliton.

“High Court’s violent video-game sales ruling: why now?”, CNET News.com, November 2, 2010. For CNET, Larry reviews the legal and industry implications of the Supreme Court’s decision to review California’s violent video game ban. Now that video games have become “realistic,” they are facing the same challenges of earlier new media, including movies, music, and comic books.

“The Beginning of the end of Net Neutrality,”, Silicon Angle, October 27, 2010. Larry’s long blog post on the Fox-Cablevision dispute and the intemperate decision by net neutrality advocates to drag it into the debate over limits on content access was cited by Steve Effros, both at Silicon Angle and at Digital Society.

“The Laws of Disruption (review)”, International Journal of Communications, October, 2010. LoD was treated to a long review in the leading journal of communications business and policy, published by USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

“Congress to FCC: All Your Net Neutrality Authority are Belong to Us”, Reason Magazine, September 28, 2010. Larry was quoted extensively in Reason magazine’s review of Rep. Waxman’s proposed net neutrality legislation. See also the Reason Foundation’s “Out of Control” policy blog.

“Leaked Net neutrality bill threads needle on wireless”, CNET News.com, September 28, 2010. Larry provided instant analysis of a leaked net neutrality bill that Rep. Henry Waxman circulated just prior to mid-term elections, and explained why it had little chance of being introduced. This article was featured as the lead story by the Wall Street Journal’s “Other Voices” section.

“The end of software ownership…and why to smile”, CNET News.com September 20, 2010. Larry’s controversial analysis of an important legal decision on software licensing spurred over 100 comments from CNET readers and beyond. The article was also featured on the The Wall Street Journal’s “All Things Digital.”

“NextGenWeb Talks with Policy Expert Larry Downes” (video), NextGenWeb, September 17, 2010. Larry is interviewed by NextGenWeb’s Shana Glickfield on consumer broadband, regulation, and the intersection of technology and policy.

“Net Neutrality: flash point for foes of big government”, Time Magazine, September 8, 2010. Larry was quoted extensively in Time’s review of the political reality behind much of the Net Neutrality debate.

“Competing on Privacy”, PII 2010, September 3, 2010. Video of the “Competing on Privacy” panel at Privacy Identity and Innovation 2010, which Larry moderated. Panelists include Fran Maier of TrustE and Christopher Wolf of the Future of Privacy Forum.

“Is Paul Allen’s patent madness really an attempt to show the madness of patents?”, Techdirt, August 30, 2010. Larry’s blog post on Paul Allen’s patent lawsuit against leading Internet companies set off a minor firestorm. Mike Masnick of Techdirt doubted Larry’s speculation that Allen was really just showing up how broken the patent system is. In a later post, also on Techdirt, Masnick reviewed Larry’s comments about the particular problem of jury trials for patent infringement, especially now that the patent office approves pretty much everything. See also Larry Ebert’s comments on IPBiz.

“Net Neutrality: What are we fighting for?”, American Public Media Future Tense, August 20, 2010. Larry was invited along with other legal scholars to provide additional commentary on the Google-Verizon crisis for Future Tense’s blog.

“The seven deadly sins of Title II reclassification (NOI remix)”, Progress on Point, August 20, 2010. The Progress & Freedom Foundation published an expanded version of Larry’s blog on latent problems lurking within the FCC’s proposed “Third Way” reclassification of broadband Internet. See commentary at NextGenWeb, InsiderOnline and Digital Society.

“Ending the net neutrality cold war”, The San Jose Mercury News, August 19, 2010. Larry responded to an op-ed by law professors Susan Crawford and Lawrence Lessig, pointing out the practical limits of wireless broadband Internet and the need to restrain the tendency of regulators to tinker with evolving technologies. See commentary at SiliconValley.com, The Internet Innovation Alliance, and Broadband Policy Watch.

“The railroad precedent and the web”, The Wall Street Journal, August 16, 2010. Larry’s blog on the National Broadband Plan and the parallels to the Interstate Commerce Commission’s disastrous railroad precedent is quoted in L. Gordon Crovitz’s “Information Age” column on the dangers of Title II.

“Net Neutrality is a technical, not a political problem”, San Francisco Chronicle, August 13, 2010. Larry’s op-ed for The Chronicle argued that the paper’s editors got it wrong in calling for unncessary regulation of broadband Internet by the FCC. See commentary at Fierce Cable and The Benton Foundation.

“Reporter’s Roundtable: Net Neutrality”, CNET Live, August 13, 2010. CNET editor Rafe Needleman interviews Larry and CNET reporter Maggie Reardon on the fallout from the Google-Verizon proposal and other important developments in the Net Neutrality saga. See commentary at The Benton Foundation; Navarrow Right.

“Battle lines being drawn for Google, Verizon, net neutrality”, American Public Media Future Tense, August 13, 2010. Larry was interviewed on the Google-Verizon proposal for the NPR program “Future Tense.”

“What the Google-Verizon proposal really says”, CNET News.com, August 10, 2010. Criticism of the Google-Verizon proposed legislative framework for Net Neutrality cynically attacked features that were identical to those proposed back in October by the FCC, endorsed by many of those doing the criticism. Larry’s CNET article pointed out the similarities and differences in a much-referenced article. See commentary at at Android Central; David Post at The Volokh Conspiracy, The Libertarian Standard, Money Mashup, The Constitutional.org, Jonathan Zittrain at The Future of the Internet, and The Heritage Foundation.

“DMCA Exemption Process Highlights The Folly of the DMCA”, Techdirt, August 5, 2010. Larry’s blog post on the iPhone “jailbreak” exception got the attention of Techdirt’s Mike Masnick.

“Are we edging toward Net Neutrality detante?”, CNET News.com, August 5, 2010. Larry’s CNET article reviews a flurry of activity over the summer, including multiparty talks at the FCC and the creation of the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG), that signaled real progress in breaking the Net Neutrality logjam.

“The Jailbreaking Exemption has its Limits”, CNET News.com, July 29, 2010. Larry analyzes the Copyright Office’s decision to grant copyright exemptions to cellphone “jailbreaking” and unlocking in this much-reprinted article from CNET. While noting subtle shifts in copyright law, Larry points out important limits to the decision that were left out of much of the reporting on the story. Larry’s blog essay on the subject was also excerpted by the influential Groklaw website as a top news pick for the week. It was also reprinted by New Media Rights.

“Government Drops the Ball on Patents”, The Wall Street Journal, July 19, 2010. Journal columnist Gordon Crovitz quotes from Larry’s blog and from “The Laws of Disruption” in an article lamenting the failure of patent law to catch up with developments in software innovation over the last fifty years.

“Reading the Bilski Tea Leaves for What the Supreme Court Thinks of Software Patents”, Techdirt, July 2, 2010. Techdirt quotes extensively from Larry’s blog on the Bilski decision. The question now is how the Supreme Court would respond to a more direct challenge to the patentability of software inventions, especially given the curious behavior of Justice Antonin Scalia.

“Court Punts on Patent Case”, Reason Magazine, June 29, 2010. Larry’s articles on the Bilski case formed the basis for this analysis from Reason Magazine’s Peter Suderman.

“The Economic Argument for Why Court’s Viacom Ruling Makes Sense”, Techdirt, June 28, 2010. Mike Masnick has some kind words about Larry’s economic analysis of the Viacom v. YouTube case, which generated some interesting reader responses.

“Supreme Court hedges on business method patents”, CNET News.com, June 28, 2010. Larry covered the Bilski decision for CNET, writing this much-reprinted article within hours of the decision.

“Patently Important”, Barron’s, June 19, 2010. (subscription required) Mark Veverka reviews the arguments in the Bilski case ahead of the Court’s decision, quoting extensively from Larry’s previous articles.

“State Senator Pushing For Law Against Online ‘E-personation’”, KTVU Fox News, June 10, 2010. Larry was interviewed on Bay Area Fox news to talk about California Senate SB 1411, which would criminalize impersonating another person online. See Larry’s analysis of the bill here.

“Does IT need to worry about the law?”, Techdirt, May 27, 2010. Larry was one of two featured speakers in a Techdirt webinar on what IT executives need to know about Internet security law. Watch an archive of the webinar here (free registration required).

“White House and Google: Cozy, as charged” Fortune, May 21, 2010. Larry’s reporting on net neutrality got some unfriendly (and incomplete) readings at the White House, as revealed in emails between Deputy CTO Andrew McLaughlin and executives at Google. The emails were revealed as part of an investigation into communications between McLaughlin and his former employer that the White House determined violated ethics rules. See additional coverage in The Washington Post and Bloomgberg.com

“Internet Regulation? That Is The Billion Dollar Question”, NextGenWeb, May 21, 2010. The good folks at NextGenWeb highlighted Larry’s commentary on broadband regulation and its impact on Internet business, calling him “one of the leading voices on broadband policy.”

“The Historical Arguments over the FCC’s Broadband Plan”, The Atlantic, May 14, 2010. Larry’s articles on the National Broadband Plan received national attention, including commentary in The Atlantic as well as from Mike Masnick on Techdirt.

“FCC Pushes for Net Neutrality and Internet Regulation: What Happens Next?”, Fast Company, May 6, 2010. Fast Company quotes Larry’s CNET article on reclassification in this critical review of the FCC’s plan to regulate broadband.

“Bug brings Facebook chat down”, The Examiner, May 5, 2010. Larry talks with The Examiner on the growing frustration over Facebook’s approach to user privacy, and the potential for federal intervention.

“FCC Action: Necessary Or The “9/11 For The Internet”? Experts Debate (Video)”, Techcrunch, May 5, 2010. With the FCC’s announcement to exercise its nuclear option on broadband regulation, Larry joined leading experts on Techcrunch TV to talk about what might happen next. See also Techdirt’s commentary on the program, and a review from The Atlantic.

“FCC Should Not Grab Title II Authority over Internet”, Info Tech and Telecom News, May, 2010. The Heartland Institute reprinted Larry’s CNET article on the risks of treating broadband as a Title II telephone service.

“Saving the Internet from the FCC”, Reason, April 28, 2010. Reason’s Peter Suderman quotes extensively from Larry in his critique of the FCC’s plan to regulate broadband Internet access.

“¿Quién manda en Internet?”, El Pais, April 22, 2010. Larry was interviewed for El Pais, Madrid’s largest-circulation daily newspaper, on net neutrality and the controversy over the FCC’s move to regulate broadband.

“Larry Downes on Internet ‘Reclassification’”, The Cato Institute, April 20, 2010. The Cato Institute’s Jim Harper reviews Larry’s articles and posts on the the Title II controversy.

“Reality check on ‘reclassifying’ broadband”, CNN, April 19, 2010. Larry’s provocative article on the legal realities of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s plan to ‘reclassify’ broadband Internet to salvage proposed net neutrality rules–the nuclear option. See also commentary on the article from Mike Wendy’s Polisonic Blog.

“Rather Than Considering Information ‘Property,’ What About Looking At Productive vs. Destructive Uses?”, Techdirt, April 14, 2010. Techdirt’s Mike Masnick has kind words about Larry’s blog essay on what Google’s problems in China and with Viacom have in common.

“Second Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Tiffany’s Trademark Infringement Claim Against eBay”, JOLT Digest, April 9, 2010. Harvard Law School’s Journal of Law and Technology summarizes Larry’s analysis of eBay v. Tiffany’s.

“Our View: Stop Obama’s Net Neutrality Agenda”, The Colorado Springs Gazette, April 8, 2010. Larry was quoted in op-eds from several newspapers and websites on the risk that the FCC would turn to the “nuclear option” of reclassifying broadband in the event it lost the Comcast case. See editorials in The American Culture, Big Government, The Gaston Gazette, Enterprise Irregulars, The Jacksonville Daily News, Silicon Angle, The Orange County Register, and The New Mexico Freedom, among others.

“Care to Share Your Credit Card Statement?”, KALW Crosscurents, April 8, 2010. Larry was interviewed on public radio’s Crosscurents to talk about Blippy, a new service that lets users publish all their purchases directly to the Web. Privacy be damned!

“FCC Says F-C-C-Ya! to Net Neutrality”, Reason, April 6, 2010. Larry is quoted in this article evaluating the dramatic rejection of the FCC’s presumed authority over broadband in the Comcast case

“Uncommon Carriers”, The Orange County Register, April 4, 2010. Larry’s op-ed in the Register points out some of the reasons why Internet access has fared so well without FCC oversight, while traditional phone service has languished.

“Another win for eBay and e-Commerce”, Examiner.com, April 2, 2010. Larry is interviewed on eBay’s win in the Second Circuit in its on-going disputes with Tiffany’s over who is responsible for counterfeit and gray-market goods that eBay sellers offer.

“Right Balance? Google, China, and Unraveling Aftermath”, San Jose Examiner, Mar. 24, 2010. Larry is quoted in this article reviewing Google’s decision to leave mainland China rather than continuing to censor search results.

“By Standing up to China, Google Returns to its Roots”, The Christian Science Monitor, Mar. 23, 2010. Larry is quoted extensively in this article reviewing Google’s decision to leave mainland China rather than continuing to censor search results. He notes that Google lost little financially in the short term, though left off from the quote was a recognition that company was still in the early stages of investing in what remains a critical future market for Internet services.

“Don’t Regulate Broadband Internet”, The Orange County Register, Mar. 17, 2010. Larry’s article on Net Neutrality and the problems of FCC jurisdiction was reprinted in The Orange County Register.

“Venezuela Debates Internet Regulation”, CNN, Mar. 17, 2010. Larry appears on CNN World to discuss recent posturing by Venezuela President Hugo Chavez indicating growing frustration with the “free press” of the Internet. Will Venezuela move to a more restrictive approach, and if so at what cost?

“Net Neutrality Would End Innovation, Not Preserve it,” The Hill, March 15, 2010. Larry’s op-ed on the non-neutral reality of proposed Net Neutrality rules. In the development of Killer Apps, why should brick-and-mortar communications providers be prohibited from innovating?

“What’s in a Title? For Broadband, it’s Oz v. Kansas”, CNET News.com, Feb. 11, 2010. In a long article published in CNET, Larry reviews the parallel histories of Titles I and II of the Communications Act of 1996. As advocates gear up to convince the FCC to try regulating broadband Internet under Title II, it’s worth remembering how much better life has been under Title I.

“Apple’s Patent Attack: This Too May be Overhyped”, E-Commerce Times, Mar. 5, 2010. Larry is quoted in this article on Apple’s patent lawsuit against rival mobile device maker HTC, pointing out that patent protection is only part of what gives the company a competitive advantage in the market. The network effects from the remarkably-successful apps store is worth more, and needs no legal protection to maintain.

“The Laws of Disruption,” NPR’s The Conversation, Mar. 3, 2010. Larry was the guest of The Conversation’s Ross Reynolds to talk about “The Laws of Disruption” and some of the most difficult problems at the intersection of innovation and the law.

“Talk at Microsoft Research”, Microsoft Research, Feb. 28, 2010. Larry’s talk at Microsoft Research is now available.

Google Italy convictions and the fate of immunity laws, BBC World News, Feb. 24.2010. Larry spoke to BBC World News anchor Katty Kay about what was really behind the conviction in absentia of senior Google executives in an Italian court over a controversial video uploaded to the company’s site.

“Gripes over Google Books go Technical”, CNET News.com, Feb. 11, 2010. Larry notes that the Justice Department’s objections to the final version of the Google Books settlement, now under advisement by the judge in the case, shifted ever-so-significantly to the merely technical. Is the government conceding the settlement is a done deal?

“NHPR: Word of Mouth”, New Hampshire Public Radio, Feb. 1, 2010. Larry spoke with Word of Mouth’s Virginia Prescott about the failing relationship between innovation and the legal system.

“First Friday Book Synopsis”, Robert Morris, Jan. 28, 2010. An excerpt from Larry’s interview with Robert Morris, business book review extraordinaire.

“At stake in broadband push: Wireless Spectrum”, CNET News.com, Jan. 22, 2010. In a final article based on material from CES, Larry writes about a looming crisis in broadband spectrum, and plans by the government to consider a wide range of solutions to free up allocated bandwidths as well as make better use of existing allocations. But no one will give up their spectrum without a fight.

“New year, new policy push for universal broadband”, CNET News.com, Jan. 21, 2010. More from CES. Larry reports on the new push for universal broadband access, sure to be a major feature of the forthcoming National Broadband Plan, due out in March.

“Authors @ Google: Larry Downes”, Google, Mountain View, Jan. 12, 2010. Click here to view Larry’s talk at Google headquarters on “The Laws of Disruption”.

“Stanford Fellow Says White House Retreating on Net Neutrality”, NextGenWeb, Jan. 9, 2010. One of several interviews Larry gave at CES regarding his Net Neutrality post on CNET during the conference.

“Why the White House is Backing Away from Net Neutrality”, CNET News.com, Jan. 8, 2010. Larry’s provocative post from the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. noting a changing tone from White House and FCC officials on the commitment to strong net neutrality regulation, was widely reported, including by CBS News, The National Review, and The Daily Kos.

“Seattle Town Hall: Catching up With Technology”, Seattle Channel, Jan. 5, 2010. Larry spoke at Seattle’s historic Town Hall, introducing “The Laws of Disruption” and fielding a wide range of questions from the audience. The complete program is available from the Seattle Channel. Click here to view.

2009

“The Winter of Our Content,” The Hill, December 21, 2009. Larry’s op-ed on the paranoia surrounding Comcast’s acquistion of NBC Universal drew from themes in “The Laws of Disruption.”

“FTC’s new Strategy: Kick ‘Em When They’re Down,”, CNET News.com,December 17, 2009. Larry’s perspective piece on the FTC’s decision to charge Intel with anti-competitive practices questioned the timing and motivation of the agency.

“Note to Silicon Valley: How not to Manage Privacy,”, CNET News.com,December 11, 2009. Larry reviews recent problems in privacy policy, from Google to Facebook.

“Government is holding back Telecom Innovation,” IT & Telecom News, December, 2009. Larry and IT&Telecom News editor James G. Lakely talk about The Law of Disruption, Net Neutrality, and the problems of infrastructure regulation.

“The Laws of Disruption” (audio podcast), Perseus Books Audio Podcast,December, 2009. Larry talks with Perseus Books’ Wesley Weisberg about “The Laws of Disruption” and the main themes of the book.

“The 10 Most Important Info-Tech Policy Books of 2009,” Technology Liberation Front, December, 2009. The Progress and Freedom Foundation’s Adam Thierer named “The Laws of Disruption” his favorite policy book of 2009.

“The Best IT-Business Books of 2009,” CIO Insight, December, 2009. The Laws of Disruption was named one of the best IT-Business Books of 2009.

“Two Cheers for Google Books,” CNET, November 16, 2009. Larry’s support for the Google Books Settlement following its revision highlights the real source of objections to the original: the out-of-control copyright system. The settlement would bring back to life millions of out-of-print books, but that forest is getting lost in the trees of a variety of interested third parties with competitive, regulatory, or just plain loopy axes to grind.

“Can You Patent a Cat and a Laser Pointer?” The Big Money from Slate.com, Nov. 9, 2009. Larry’s article on the U.S. Supreme Court’s critical 2009 patent case, Bilski v. Kappos, explained why a challenge to business method patents was really one that asked the fundamental questions about patents for all kinds of information age inventions, especially software. Larry’s advice to the Justices: eliminate patent protection for inventions that don’t need it.

Hearsay Culture (Stanford Radio) Larry Downes was the guest on this radio program focused on issues of law and technology in November, 2009.

“Information Age: Will The Internet Survive its 40th?” The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 1, 2009. R. Gordon Crovitz’s column on Net Neutrality quotes extensively from Larry and from “The Laws of Disruption.” “The mistake regulators and those who enable them continue to make is trying to micromanage individual technologies or applications,” Mr. Downes writes. “The bottom line is simple. Encouraging infrastructure is good; micromanaging it is bad.”

Tech Nation, November, 2009.Larry was the guest on NPR’s “Tech Nation” with Moira Gunn. Listen to a podcast here.

The Case Against the FCC’s Net Neutrality Plan. CNET News.com, Oct. 29, 2009. Larry’s provocative and much-cited editorial dismissing the FCC’s long-awaited Net Neutrality proposed rulemaking received almost 400 Diggs and over 150 Tweets.

“Tense Times for Web Phone Apps” eWeek, Oct. 4, 2009. Larry’s blog on Net Neutrality was quoted in this article by Clint Boulton on AT&T’s objections to Google Phone’s non-carrier behavior. “In that issue, I’ve already written that I don’t think Google Voice should get a free pass, and it turns out I’m not the only one who feels this way. Larry Downes, a fellow at the Stanford Law School Center of Internet and Society, wrote in his blog: ‘There’s a simple solution to all this, one that might make a rational conversation about net neutrality possible. And that is to eliminate the distinction between common carriers and everyone else. Hold everyone to the same rules regardless of what information they are transporting–whether voice, video, television, data. Because regardless of who’s doing what, these days it’s all bits.’”

October 2009 – Introducing “The Laws of Disruption” video. To watch an extended play version, click here.

“AT&T Slams Google Voice” The Washington Post, Sept. 30, 2009. The Post’s “Post I.T.” column on the Net Neutrality debate quotes from Larry’s blog. “‘Much as the FCC wishes there was still a clear distinction between ‘the Internet’ and ‘the telephone network,’ technology has obliterated that difference,’ Larry Downes, a non-resident fellow at the Stanford Law School Center of Internet and Society, wrote in his blog Tuesday.”

“The Next New—Potentially Illegal—Thing,” Inc. Magazine, May, 2009 – Larry Downes’s interview with Inc.’s Leigh Buchanan warns innovators to avoid the increasing legal pitfalls of new technology introductions.

“When Collaboration and the Law Collide,” Inc. Magazine, May, 2009 – Part Two of Larry Downes’s interview with Inc.’s Leigh Buchanan deals with legal dilemmas associated with social media.

2008

“The Legal Jungle” Columns, CIO Insight, 2005-2008 – Many of the examples and cases from “The Laws of Disruption” were first discussed in columns Larry Downes wrote for CIO Insight.

2007

“Preserve Internet Freedom…From Regulation,” CNet News.com, December 12, 2007 – Larry Downes takes an unpopular position on Net Neutrality, arguing that the cost of government interference with Internet access provisioning is almost certainly higher than the benefits.

2005

“The Commerce Clause Wakes Up,” Harvard Business Review, September, 2005 – Larry Downes reviews a 2005 Supreme Court that tested the limits of state law interference with Internet commerce.

2004

“First, Empower all the Lawyers,” Harvard Business Review, December, 2004 – Larry Downes argues that corporate legal departments are broken. The digital age requires lawyers who are technology-savvy and active participants in corporate strategy.

2003

“Give Spammers More Information, Not Less,” USA Today, June 24, 2003 – Larry Downes’s controversial “solution” to the Spam problem.

“Unleashing Killer Architectures,” CIO, June 15, 2003 – Larry Downes describes the next-generation computing architecture and its promise for new profitability across industries.

“Dell business model turns to muscle as rivals struggle,” USA Today, January 19, 2003 – Larry Downes on the difference between a mission and a mission statement.

2002

“Free the Mouse for creativity’s sake,” USA Today, October 8, 2002 – Larry Downes’ op-ed on intellectual property and the Supreme Court.

“Size is Not a Strategy,” FastCompany, September, 2002 – This cover story on new approaches to strategy describes Larry Downes as one of “the business world’s smartest thinkers.”

RSS

Books

Archives